Packing lunch on a daily basis does not have to stop because of travel. I often hear from clients that hectic schedules and days on the road constantly throw off their healthy eating goals. With a little planning and commitment you can brown-bag it in any town even if you are just passing through. Here a few how-to tips for travel:

BYO: The best way to avoid grabbing convenient but often unhealthy meals on the go is to pack your own. Meals and snacks made from home can often get you through a day or two on the road or at least your travel day.

Plan ahead: book your hotel in close proximity to a grocery store or convenience store and make time for a little shopping. You can grab easy items like yogurt, hummus, canned tuna, beans and bagged lettuce to easily put together a quick and healthy meal. Make sure your hotel has a refrigerator to store some perishable items (and a can-opener if you buy canned foods). Here are a few quick meal ideas that work great for lunch and dinner. Try to re-use ingredients so nothing goes to waste

Salad with tuna, white beans, grape tomatoes and olives

Whole grain pita with hummus and veggies like peppers, grape tomatoes (a tasty, sweet snack on their own) and olives

Yogurt with berries (berries don’t need refrigeration) for a snack or quick breakfast

Almond Butter can be paired with sliced bananas or apples on whole grain bread

Oatmeal packets like Kashi Go Lean which have a good amount of protein can be made with hot water from your hotel coffee machine and topped with the leftover fresh berries from your yogurt meal

Prepared foods make simple sandwiches. Try cooked turkey burgers and chicken burgers or even vegetarian items like Veggie Patch falafel paired with some leftover hummus and veggies. With a microwave and a little creativity you have a hot lunch!

Re-use containers: pack snacks for the road in a reusable container that can be washed and re-used for other meals during your time away. Bring a small cooler bag and ice pack that you can re-freeze and re-use throughout your trip to keep perishables cold.

Leftovers: last night’s dinner is a staple of many brown bag lunches at home so why not on the road as well? This trick makes portion control a cinch; ask for half of you dinner to be packed to-go so you won’t be tempted to overindulge.